HD 4: Child, Family and Community Chapter 2 (Berns) Lecture Notes Ecology of Socialization

Take 5 Tell your neighbor three most important things you learned from your parents. Tell your neighbor three people, other than your parents, that had a major influence on your childhood and/or teen years.

Self-concept: An individual’s perception of his or her identity as distinct from that of others. (39) Your concept of self was influenced by significant others. As you became a teen, your self-concept included how you related to others. Being a member of a group was important to your identity. The self-concept reflects the attitudes of others—”Looking-glass self”. Self esteem is the value one places on their identity (high or low).

Erik Erikson’s 8 Critical Stages of Psychosocial Development (40) These stages impact the self-concept. Personality development is the outcome of the interactions with the social environment.

Infancy: Trust versus Mistrust Birth to age 1 The quality and consistency of care infants receive determine the outcome of this stage. Research shows a positive relationship between parental nurturing and self-worth. Babies need to develop a basic sense of trust.

Early Childhood: Autonomy Versus Shame and Doubt (Age 2-3) Physical and cognitive maturation enables children to behave autonomously. If children are allowed to be self-sufficient according to ability levels, then they will have feelings of autonomy. If children are constantly corrected or reprimanded and don’t have opportunities to develop a “will”, they will experience feelings of shame and self-doubt.

Play Age: Initiative versus Guilt Ages 3-5 Children’s increasing ability to communicate and to imagine leads them to initiate activities. If allowed to create, experiment, question, and use materials, they will develop a sense of initiative. If made to feel bad for trying new things and pests for asking questions, they will develop a sense of guilt.

School Age: Industry versus Inferiority Age 6 to Puberty While learning to accept instruction and gain recognition for showing effort and producing things, children are learning to enjoy work. If children do not receive recognition for their effort or do not experience any success, they may develop feelings of inferiority.

Adolescence: Identity versus Identity Diffusion Puberty to Age 18+ With rapid growth and sexual maturation, adolescents often question people, things, values and attitudes. Adolescents are often trying out new roles. Some may experience difficulty choosing an identity or making a commitment which is identity diffusion.

Young Adulthood: Intimacy versus Isolation Age 18+ to Middle Adulthood Once identity is established, individuals can achieve intimacy with others in friendship and love. Those who fear losing their identity in an intimate relationship with others may develop a sense of isolation.

Adulthood: Generativity Versus Self-Absorption Middle Adulthood to Late Adulthood From the development of intimate relationships comes generativity, the interest in establishing and guiding the next generation. Lack of generativity may result in self-absorption.

: Senescence: Integrity Versus Despair Late Adulthood to Death Those that have achieved identity, developed intimacy, and are interested in guiding the next generation, reach the end of life with positive self-esteem. Those without the integrity, may experience low self-esteem and problems with health or substance abuse.

Self-regulation: The process of bringing one’s emotions, thoughts, and behavior under control. (71) Regulated behavior often involves postponing or modifying immediate gratification for the sake of a future goal. Regulated behavior involves the ability to tolerate frustration. Early relationships (attachment to parents) play a significant role in the development of regulation. Self-regulation is related to moral development.

Did you know? Significant adults and peers influence one’s motivation to succeed. (71) Boys and girls learn gender-appropriate behavior from significant members of their society. Socialization aims to provide social, emotional, and cognitive skills to children so that they can function successfully in society.

Developmental Tasks We face new expectations from significant socializing agents in society. Developmental milestones can vary by culture (Ex: sleeping through the night) Differences in developmental expectations may account for some social adjustment problems among children in school from diverse ethnic or cultural groups.

Agents of Socialization Who shaped you? Agents of Socialization Sometimes agents complement each other or they can contradict each other.

Family (47) The status of the family influences a child’s opportunities. Children from low-income families often believe they have little control over their future. Children from middle and upper income families are more likely to go to college. Educational level is a strong determinant of future occupation and income.

“There is now evidence that marital conflict and distress are related to children’s difficulties with peers.” (48)

School/Child Care (50) Socialization outcomes in teacher centered and learner centered classrooms are different. The teacher contributes to the socialization process by serving as a model for children to imitate. As a result of societal change, child care has become an important socialization agent.

Peers The peer group comprises individuals who are of approximately the same age and social status and who have common interests. Children come to look at themselves from the point of view of the group. The quality of the parent-child relationship is the most important factor affecting peer group influence.

Mass Media Mass media include newspapers, magazines, books, radio, TV, videos, movies, computers and other means of communication that reach large audiences via an impersonal medium between the sender and the receiver. (52) Children, because of cognitive immaturity, are of special concern regarding media influences.

Community People who live in a particular geographical area who are bound together politically and economically. (53) There is concern over the erosion of community ties. The community has several functions.

What influences whether behavior will be repeated or modified? When one’s behavior is followed by a favorable outcome (reinforcement), the probability of that behavior’s occurring again is increased. 56 Several socialization techniques can be used to increase desired behavior (positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and shaping).

Specific conditions are required for effective reinforcement. The desired behavior must take place. The desired behavior must be reinforced immediately. The desired behavior should be reinforced each time it occurs. When the desired behavior is happening often, reinforcement can become intermittent.

Problems with Reinforcements Individuals respond differently to reinforcers. The child may become bored with the reward. Sometimes we reinforce the behavior that we want to eliminate (unintentionally). Motivation for self-control is reduced.

Other socialization techniques that can decrease or eliminate undesired behavior… Extinction Punishment Feedback Learning by Doing

Problems With Punishment It does not indicate desired behavior. It may slow the rate of the behavior or change the behavior rather than eliminate it. Physical aggression…verbal aggression It may have an undesirable modeling effect on the child. Parents who abuse their children were often abused as children. There may be emotional side effects.

David Elkind The Hurried Child Preface and Chapter 1